SAN DIEGO - Petco Park (42,524)

[dfrench8456]

Petco is one of my favorite MLB parks i love how they made the suits in left field look like a building that has always been there and the suits in the life tower its very cool/

[MRichR]

Originally Posted by dfrench8456

Petco is one of my favorite MLB parks i love how they made the suits in left field look like a building that has always been there and the suits in the life tower its very cool/

They didn't build the suites to look like a building that was already there, the building was there before the stadium was built and they just incorporated it into the stadium.

[dfrench8456]

They didn't build the suites to look like a building that was already there, the building was there before the stadium was built and they just incorporated it into the stadium.

Well then thats even better.

[skaP187]

looks very nice! San Diego, where I ate me first Mexican taco! Que bueno...

[BeestonLad]

Lovely stadium in a great city - Probably the best city in the US IMO. I like the idea of the grass bank for fans to sit on reminds me of some cricket grounds in south africa.

[hngcm]

Best park in the Majors.

[bd popeye]

posted October 14th, 2005;

Originally Posted by ASupertall4SD

I love the urban stadiums that have backdrops and city life surrounding the park. Detroit, pittsburgh and chicago come to mind most vividly. I wanted you to see what Petco Park in San Diego will look like from a few vantage points as of 2008-2010. Let me know what you all think.

Here ya' Go... Beautiful photo taken 09.11.2010 by the US Navy. Outstanding photo!



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SAN DIEGO (Sept. 11, 2010) Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70(aircraft carrier)) unfurl the "Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Big Flag" during pre-game activities at PETCO Park to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Adrian White/Released)

[ryebreadraz]

I go down to two or three Dodger/Padres games a year and absolutely love Petco Park. It's a shame that even this year when they're good that nobody shows up to games, but it's still a great stadium. They didn't go with the boring brick and green motif, instead going with something unique that looks great. The only bad thing I can say about the place is that stupid thing that sticks out in right field.

[bd popeye]

The only bad thing I can say about the place is that stupid thing that sticks out in right field.

Yea they need to take care of that... it's stupid..

It's a shame that even this year when they're good that nobody shows up to games, but it's still a great stadium.

Humm?? What do you mean by nobody shows up?? I just checked..

Padres 2010 Home Attendance

They are drawing an average of 26,039 a game. Not bad.. moderate by modern day MLB standards. IMO they should be drawing about 30,000+ a game easily..There's over 3 million folks in San Diego county plus those that can come up from Mexico. There's no reason they can't draw 2.5 a season...every year.

I lived in San Diego for 26 years..'77-'04.

[ryebreadraz]

Originally Posted by bd popeye

Humm?? What do you mean by nobody shows up?? I just checked..

Padres 2010 Home Attendance

They are drawing an average of 26,039 a game. Not bad.. moderate by modern day MLB standards. IMO they should be drawing about 30,000+ a game easily..There's over 3 million folks in San Diego county plus those that can come up from Mexico. There's no reason they can't draw 2.5 a season...every year.

I lived in San Diego for 26 years..'77-'04.

Ok, not nobody. I exaggerated a big there, but a very poor showing for a team that's been in first place all season. They should be well over 30,000 and really should be over 35,000 in years like this when they're so good. While it's amusing for me as a Dodger fan, it's somewhat sad that I've gone to a couple games this year where there's 20,000 announced, not that many actually there and 5,000 of them are Dodger fans.

[Bigmac1212]

I went there during the American Independence Day weekend. It's nice, except the face that the lower outfield concourse is lower than the rest of the concourse. The use of the existing building in left field is a nice touch.

[mrakbaseball]

Originally Posted by ryebreadraz

I go down to two or three Dodger/Padres games a year and absolutely love Petco Park. It's a shame that even this year when they're good that nobody shows up to games, but it's still a great stadium. They didn't go with the boring brick and green motif, instead going with something unique that looks great. The only bad thing I can say about the place is that stupid thing that sticks out in right field.

Is there another ballpark in the majors with one bullpen in-play and another bullpen out-of-play? I don't like the contrived quirkiness of the RF corner either. I don't like the weird towers on the 1st and 3rd base side, I don't like the fact that because of the towers, the mezzanine and upper deck aren't continuous. I do like how it incorporates the Western Metal Supply Co. building as part of the ballpark.

[bd popeye]

... but a very poor showing for a team that's been in first place all season.

I agree 100%..

I don't like the weird towers on the 1st and 3rd base side, I don't like the fact that because of the towers, the mezzanine and upper deck aren't continuous. I do like how it incorporates the Western Metal Supply Co. building as part of the ballpark.

As I've stated before I don't like the quirky right field corner. They need to fix that.

I think the idea for those towers may have come from old Wrigley Field in LA.

[bd popeye]

And a pretty good hi-res look at one of those towers courtesy of the US Navy.


Download HiRes

SAN DIEGO (Sept. 21, 2007) - Sailors assigned to Tactical Air Control Squadron (TACRON) 12 present the colors during the national anthem before a game between the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rookies at Petco Park. As part of pre-game ceremonies, Padres fans joined together in recognizing the National Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Day. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Michael C. Barton (RELEASED)

[mrakbaseball]

The 12-story tower at Los Angeles's Wrigley Field housed the PCL offices, and even if the towers at Petco were inspired by old LA Wrigley, IMO they detract from the overall look of the ballpark.
The cross-section, from foul pole to foul pole has a pretty aggressive cantilever, at least for a modern park.

[bd popeye]

I agree with you. Some architect must have thought that was innovative or was looking at photos of Griffith Stadium in DC. I don't like that interrupted deck at Cincinnati GAB either.

[rantanamo]

Originally Posted by mrakbaseball

The 12-story tower at Los Angeles's Wrigley Field housed the PCL offices, and even if the towers at Petco were inspired by old LA Wrigley, IMO they detract from the overall look of the ballpark.
The cross-section, from foul pole to foul pole has a pretty aggressive cantilever, at least for a modern park.

You don't like anything that's not bricks and green standard issue.

[mrakbaseball]

Originally Posted by rantanamo

You don't like anything that's not bricks and green standard issue.

Not true. I see that I'm replying to post made at a quarter to 4 in the morning...

Your post has nothing to with Petco Park but an attack on a subjective opinion.

However I will dispute your claim, parks past and present that interest me include but not limited to are any ballpark built between 1909 and 1915, Yankee Stadium (1923-1973, 1976-2008), Los Angeles' Wrigley Field, Metropolitan Stadium, Anaheim Stadium, Kauffman Stadium, even Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, the Kingdome, Safeco Field, New Comiskey ('04-present), OPACY, Jacobs Field, Coors Field, AT&T Park, Monterrey Stadium, Les Murakami (Rainbow) Stadium, Munhak Baseball Stadium in S. Korea, Delorimier Downs, the ballpark formerly known as Franklin Covey Field in SLC.
Some of those facilities fall under the "bricks and green standard issue" category, and some do not.

[Benn]

I kind of like the towers here, but I wouldn't want it to be reused elsewhere. Its always questionable to break a seating bowl in a major fashion, but this works much better than the GAB in my opinion. Here there is still continuity around the stadium, the GAB is two separate grandstands meeting on the third base line in an incredibly awkward transition.

[mrakbaseball]

Petco Park can be seen in an aerial shot from the movie Anchorman, which takes place in 1970s San Diego, I would have used some stock footage instead but it was a comedy and accuracy wasn't the goal.